Francis Coquelin sets his sights on emulating Arsenal legend

Arsenal ace Francis Coquelin says he wants to become as dominant as club legend Patrick Vieira, though he concedes it’s only possible through grit and determination, the Daily Star report.

Former France international Vieira had a stellar career in North London, captaining the side to numerous trophies and earning the right to be labelled one of the club’s greatest ever players.

For a number of years, observers have been campaigning for boss Arsene Wenger to splash the cash on a new defensive midfielder, the general consensus being that Vieira has yet to be suitably replaced.

However, this season such talk has quietened due to the introduction of Coquelin and the club’s subsequent improvement in performances and results.

The former Charlton Athletic loan star has been a revelation since the turn of the year, though talk of emulating Vieira is still a distant dream according to Coquelin himself.

"I'm not going to say to you I am [similar to Vieira], obviously I want to be but I think it’s down to the performance I put in every week so I’m just trying to give my best every game so hopefully I can do that in the long term,” he explained.

Since coming into the side, the Gunners have gone on to win 11 of their 13 Premier League matches in 2015 - a record as good as any in the league.

It’s difficult to say whether Coquelin will go on to have quite the same impact as Vieira, but there is no doubt that the 23-year-old is the real deal and among the Premier League’s best defensive midfielders.

Tom Thorogood

I'm a 27 year old language teacher and writer based out in Mexico with a passion for football and swimming. I like to focus on the top European Leagues, especially La Liga, as well as the footballing development in Central and South America. My favourite teams include Derby County, Barcelona and Jagaures de Chiapas.